SRI VIDYA I have tried to compile this article to describe some aspects of Sri Vidya.

The literature of Sri Vidya is very vast, hence some description may differ. As per guidelines some matter e.g. Archana and Sadhana part has been skipped. Devotee can seek proper guidance from his/her Gurunaatha .It should also be noted that initiation is a must for practicing Sri Vidya sadhana.Any commentary on Sri Lalita Sahasrnama like Saubhagyabhaskara written by Great SadhakaShrimadBhaskar Raya will be of great help in knowing about Sri Vidya. Regards GSPandey What is Sri Vidya : Vidya is the highest, ultimate and pure intelligence.Sri means auspiciousness or eishwaryama.Thus Sri Vidya is the highest knowledge that gives all saubhagyama besides moksha..It is also called Brahma Vidya,Maha vidya or Atma Vidya.It is the Vidya of great mother Sri Mata.The mantras of female deity are also known as Vidya. Ancient seers had been quarrying to which God shall we offer our oblations-kasmai devaya havisha vidhema.There are gods and gods but at top are certain Godheads which correspond to the Brahman of Upnishadas.The spiritual disciplines leading to them are Brahma Vidyas or Maha Vidyas or Siddha Vidyas.The supreme is adored as Great Goddess.The Tantra clarifies them as Dasha Mahavidyas-the ten great paths of knowledge.The third one in the order of these Maha Vidyas is Sri Vidya,leading to Mahatripursundari the beauty par excellence in the triple worlds. The great Goddess is also known as Lalita and Rajrajeshwari. Being comprehensive in its scope and all embracing in nature the cult of Sri Vidya is said to be the highest of all mantra sadhanas.It does utmost good to him who seeks divinity through it. If one is determined to reach the Supreme goal by her grace it is attained. Divine Mother grants whatever the seeker chooses. It is advisable not to choose anything but to leave the choice to the great Goddess. It is also said that by pursuing other lines of worship one aspires to get the eight siddhis as the culmination but these are beginnings in the worship of Sri Vidya.In fact these siddhis are posited on the outermost periphery of Sri Chakra which is not different from Sri Vidya. The Deity and Her various Names: The Lalita Sahasranama begins with her first name as Sri mata , the divine mother, the primordial mother not only of all the created beings in the universe but also of all God and Goddesses. She is their mainstay and sustenance. Her next name is Sri maharajni ie.she is presiding over the cosmos, the Supreme Lord. The Kalika Purana says that everything about the Godess is three in number.The triangle( also known as yoni which is the prime triangle in the Sri Chakra and is the source of all manifestations ,her three lettered mantra (Bala mantra),her three forms, creation of the trinity. In fact Brahman is three fold : Sat- Chit-Ananada.The life is three fold : physical, vital and

mental(annama,prana and manasa).The worlds are three. The states are three : waking, dream and deep sleep(jagrata,swapna and sushupthi).The forces are three : will, knowledge and action(iccha,jnana and kriya).Thus the Godess who subjects herself to a threefold division is known as Tripursundari. She is also known as Lalita who has vanquished Bhandasura-an asura created from the ashes of Manmatha (who was reduced to ashes by Lord Siva when he disturbed His penance) as described in Brahmanda Purana. Three of her great personalities who lead the aspirant on the path of Sri Vidya are Bala,Mantrini and Dandanatha.. Bala is a little girl ,daughter of the Divine Mother also known as Bala Tripursundari shares all the characterstics of her mother. Her mantra consists of three seed sounds. These three seed letters (bijaksharas) become amplified as three kutas of Panchdasi(15 lettered mantra) viz. Vagbhava kuta, Kamaraja kuta and Shakti kuta.

Mantrini represents the knowledge aspect of the Divine mother. She is Matangi of Dash Maha Vidyas. Dandanatha denotes the strength aspect of the Divine mother.She destroys the hostile forces and infuses strength in the worshipper. She corresponds to Baglamukhi of the Dash Maha vidyas. The colour of the Goddess Lalitha is red like the light of a thousand rising suns and her garments are red in colour.Red is the colour of desire, passion and love. Red is also the colour of dawn the dispeller of darkness or Avidya. Lalitha wields in her four hands the noose, the goad, the sugarcane bow and five flower arrows. Love is the noose and wrath is the goad. The sugarcane bow is the mind and five arrows are five tanmatras:sound,touch,form,relish and flavour. SriChakra is Her abode in which the lines of creation emerge in the Bindu when she is seated on a cot, the legs of which are Brahma,Vishnu,Rudra and Isana and the plank of which is Sadasiva.She is not seated alone but with Kameshwara,thus two in one in eternal bliss. The Mantra : There are twelve pioneers of Sri Vidya on record who are the foremost worshippers having founded a school of Sri Vidya.The Sri Vidya mantra in each case is different. They are Manu,Chandra,Kubera,Lopamudra,Manmatha,Agastya,Nandikesa,Surya,Vishnu,Skanda,Siva and Durvasha.It will be observed that the list comprises of men,siddha and gods. The vidya of Manmatha is known as Kadi Vidya and of Agastya is known as Hadi vidya.. Kadi Vidya has gained much currency and prominence.The three hundred names of Lalitha in Lalitha Trishathi are arranged in the order of the letters of Kadi Vidya.

Kadi vidya consists of fifteen letters also known as Panchadasi. When a secret seed sound (bijakshara) is added it becomes Shodashi(the sixteen lettered mantra).There is also Maha Shodashi the twenty eight lettered mantra. The Panchadasi mantra consists of three parts or kutas.The first is Vagbhava kuta,second is Kamaraja kuta and the third is Shakti kuta.The three stages of the mantra represent the three stages of manifestation. The Guru : We all know that Deity acts through a human agency,the Guru.By initiation Guru hands over the knowledge and continuous guidance.Tantra gives the name of augha-flood or current. The aughas are three in number-Manavaugha,Divyaugha and Siddhaugha.In fact Guru is the delegated power of the Godhead on earth and to the disciple He is the God himself.The mantra is effective only when disciple is initiated through a Mantra Siddha Guru. A lamp which is burning can light another lamp. Jai Maa Rajrajeshwari